What items do you think should be in your local shop that are not

I get frustrated when I go to stores/shops looking for odd ball bits and pieces, but can't find what I'm looking for. What items do you guys look for that you have a hard time finding and think should be in the store?

For me, it's materials to make my own cables and stainless metric hardware, mostly. Most this stuff I can get online, but sometimes I need to see it with my hands.

We all have those particular items that every build seems to hit the same roadblock. I make a lot of my own parts, but it takes hours of searching to find certain things online. What are your pitfalls?

7L9R

Usually carburetor parts i.e. jets and such. We have a few small shops in the Phoenix area and I end up usually having to go to all of them.... Thankfully Al Gore invented the internet.

Rubber grommets, o-rings, seals and gaskets. Honda stopped making new rear-fender grommets for my CL. It'd be nice if the dealers did the legwork of sourcing new ones so every CB/CL/etc. owner didn't have to individually.

That, and Trappist beer.

(These fit quite well, by the way ('70 CL100): http://www.mcmaster.com/#9307k876/=yr04ut )

I'd be happy with a guy in the shop who isn't an asshole who thinks he's doing the world a favor by charging double what online prices are. I'm actually willing to pay a little more to support a local brick and mortar spot, but my local guy just sucks.

I miss being in Phoenix and having Bob's. Because of where I'm at, I order stuff online unless I'm in a pinch to get something stupid, like a feeler gauge or fuel filter.

Anything not from Drag Specialties....

carnivorous chicken said:

I'd be happy with a guy in the shop who isn't an asshole who thinks he's doing the world a favor by charging double what online prices are. I'm actually willing to pay a little more to support a local brick and mortar spot, but my local guy just sucks.

I miss being in Phoenix and having Bob's. Because of where I'm at, I order stuff online unless I'm in a pinch to get something stupid, like a feeler gauge or fuel filter.

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My guy in Marysville, CA has the same attitude "you can get it online cheaper, be hey, I used to race and I'm cool".

I miss Bob's too, used to live in PHX, never found anything else that place

iatethepeach said:

Rubber grommets, o-rings, seals and gaskets. Honda stopped making new rear-fender grommets for my CL. It'd be nice if the dealers did the legwork of sourcing new ones so every CB/CL/etc. owner didn't have to individually.

That, and Trappist beer.

(These fit quite well, by the way ('70 CL100): http://www.mcmaster.com/#9307k876/=yr04ut )

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Good point, and bushings too.

DesertKZ said:

Thankfully Al Gore invented the internet.

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The internet is the catalyst for the disappearance of stocked parts. Almost noone stocks anything anymore. I would say I get 98% of my parts and supplies from the net, right down to wiring and connectors, paint, tape, everything. The only thing I stay away from buying online is tools, got to hold those in my hands before buying.

iatethepeach said:

Rubber grommets, o-rings, seals and gaskets. Honda stopped making new rear-fender grommets for my CL. It'd be nice if the dealers did the legwork of sourcing new ones so every CB/CL/etc. owner didn't have to individually.

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I was at Lowes today looking for some of that hard to find hardware we're complaining about. They had a drawer full of those rubber grommets that might be close to the size you need. I have a CB100 also and they looked about the right size. I didn't have my phone to take pics though.

In related news, I went by a bicycle shop to get a new brake cable for my daughters bike. After discussing cables with the shop owner I came away more knowledgeable to the fact that bike and motorcycle cables are the same. So for $3 I got a cable that would cost $15-20 for a motorcycle. Funny how the stars align.

Try your local Ace or True Value for hard-to-find hardware. Mine put my Lowes and Home Depot to shame. I also have a Fastenall nearby, but the hardware stores usually do better.

Anyway, I ended up getting those grommets from McMaster-Carr, but thanks for the tip. Manhattan Supply is another great online resource for that kind of stuff, and Mouser for electronic components.

I loath the idea of driving 1 hour 20 minutes round trip into town. Sitting at stop lights, hunting a parking spot, Only to NOT FIND what I want. When you can find a clerk, usually a MORON, Asking me..."What are you wanting this for?" None of your freakin business, what I want it for.

Its as if these stores dont even want to try to keep the doors open.

Aargh!

I love shopping for parts on the web!
Best of all, the web DELIVERS. No gas wasted.

Hell, if you buy "online" at Advance auto parts, they have items ready to to pickup PLUS a 15% discount on everything. I usually do it on lunch break and pick it up on my way home...like a 2 minute stop.

Same as my local Honda motorcycle shop. I use paypal for that, 15% discount on everything online. Just walk in and my parts are bagged, sitting on the counter w the receipt stapled to it.

Whats not to like?

Ace is usually the best selection around here, but even then it's limited mostly to standard. They sell more guns at our Ace than bolts and nuts.

I have a Fastenal and a local nut and bolt store that sells everything from springs to end mills. No complaints here.

I just make stuff- you know, out of whatever ;D

Fortunately, I have a great auto parts/hardware store that happens to have every part and gasket I could ever want for the Holley carburetor on my truck. For motorcycles, I can get the common stuff- mostly batteries, tires, stuff like that. Everything else they'd special order from Parts Unlimited, which I can do myself and get a little quicker. I have a great salvage yard across the river in South Carolina, then everything else is the internet.

Same problems here. I went to the local bike shop a while back to get something and the guy behind the counter started looking for it, in what I assumed was their inventory list on the computer. I happened to glimpse around to see the monitor and he was on bikebandit.com's website. Metric fasteners are hard to find in stock also. Even the local fastenal has to order it and it is expensive. I try to buy bulk fasteners off eBay and keep a pretty decent stock.

Ichiban Moto said:

I just make stuff- you know, out of whatever ;D

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I try to make my own or source from other 'things' but doesn't always work- but love your style.

cyclefreak said:

Metric fasteners are hard to find in stock also. Even the local fastenal has to order it and it is expensive.

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Bolt Depot is pretty good. I've browsed clipsandfasteners.com's site, too, but haven't bought anything from them.

trek97 said:

I loath the idea of driving 1 hour 20 minutes round trip into town. Sitting at stop lights, hunting a parking spot, Only to NOT FIND what I want. When you can find a clerk, usually a MORON, Asking me..."What are you wanting this for?" None of your freakin business, what I want it for.

Its as if these stores dont even want to try to keep the doors open.

Aargh!

I love shopping for parts on the web!
Best of all, the web DELIVERS. No gas wasted.

Hell, if you buy "online" at Advance auto parts, they have items ready to to pickup PLUS a 15% discount on everything. I usually do it on lunch break and pick it up on my way home...like a 2 minute stop.

Same as my local Honda motorcycle shop. I use paypal for that, 15% discount on everything online. Just walk in and my parts are bagged, sitting on the counter w the receipt stapled to it.

Whats not to like?

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This post reminds me of the last, and I do mean last, experience I will have with the morons at Autozone. I needed some "universal" 1157 sockets. I found them on line for like a buck from China. I needed a few for prototypes ASAP and didn't want to wait the requisite 3 weeks to get them so figured I would pay a premium for a couple of them locally to get started. I called Advance and they only had 1 in stock for $4.99. So I call AZ and ask if AutoZone sells a "universal" 1157 sockets. His first question is "What vehicle is it for?". I said "They are universal, look it up." He starts punching keys on the computer and says "No sir we don't have one in the store", I said "I didn't ask whether you had one in the store, I asked if AZ sells one at all." He says "Sir I just told you we don't have one, they are not even listed on the computer". I said " Fine, now would step out from behind the computer and go to the light bulb section of the store and see if you have any Universal 1157 light sockets". He puts me on hold for a few minutes and then comes back and says "Yes sir, I found 2 different ones, a large and a smaller one." I said "How can that be when you say they aren't even on the computer? How much are they." He says "they are $9.99 each". The next thing he heard was me hanging up. Never again will I go to an AutoZone.